NFL Week 9 Preview: Schedule, storylines and matchups to watch

• The Dolphins look for their first win with Tua Tagovailoa back: Despite suffering a one-point loss this past week at home to Arizona, Miami came to life offensively, earning the sixth-highest EPA per play average in Week 8.

• Quarterback injuries in an NFC heavyweight bout: Both Jared Goff and Jordan Love are navigating injuries heading into Lions-Packers.

• Unlock your edge with a PFF+ subscription:Get full access to all our in-season fantasy tools, including weekly rankings, WR/CB matchup charts, weekly projections, the Start-Sit Optimizer and more. Sign up now!

Estimated reading time: 23 minutes

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Houston Texans vs. New York Jets (-2)

Storyline of the game: Offensive uncertainties mount

Thursday night features a matchup between a pair of teams in the Jets and Texans that find themselves navigating offensive issues.

Houston enters this short week dealing with various injuries, but none more pressing than being down their top two receivers, thrusting the likes of Tank Dell and Dalton Schultz into the limelight to carry the load in the receiving game.

Aaron Rodgers and the Jets offense continues to struggle amid a five-game losing streak marred with slow starts on a weekly basis. Since Week 4, this offense has just four first-quarter scoring drives despite having the most possessions (17).

Matchups to watch: Texans TE Dalton Schultz vs. Jets LB Quincy Williams

Given the losses of Nico Collins and Stefon Diggs to this receiving game, C.J. Stroud will need to lean on his other options if this team hopes to stay balanced. Schultz is one of those names to watch, as he’s seen a sizable workload during Collins’ absence. Since Week 5, Schultz holds the highest threat percentage on the team (19.5%) among Houston tight ends and wide receivers that will be active this week.

Quincy Williams is as adept in coverage as anyone at the position, possessing the 10th-highest PFF coverage grade (73.0) at the position (minimum 200 snaps). But, he has seen his struggles as well during this slide, witnessing his grade fall to 55.7 having allowed a 151.4 passer rating into his coverage.

Additional news:

Texans WR Stefon Diggs (knee) suffered a torn ACL, will miss the rest of the year.

Dallas Cowboys vs. Atlanta Falcons (-2.5)

Storyline of the game: Can the Cowboys slow down this Falcons running game?

Kirk Cousins and the Falcons closed out the first half of the year with a positive 5-3 record, having won four of their last five off of powerful offensive performances. Since Week 4, this offense has generated the fifth-highest EPA per play, a credit to holding the league’s highest-graded rushing offense (92.0) over that span.

Dallas’ struggles halting opposing running games has been at the forefront of the team’s defensive issues, having generated the NFL’s lowest team run defense grade (43.6). After seven games, this defense has tallied just 20 tackles for loss or no gain on run plays —the fewest in the NFL — while surrendering 4.73 average yards of depth per tackle.

Matchups to watch: Falcons RB Bijan Robinson vs. Cowboys LB Eric Kendricks

The man behind this powerful Falcons running game, Bijan Robinson, has been playing lights-out in recent weeks. The second-year ‘back has laid claim to a league-leading 91.1 PFF rushing grade since Week 6, powered by 3.1 yards after contact per attempt and a trio of scores.

Slowing down Robinson and this Falcons running game will be a group effort, but the one that sets the tone in that regard has to be Eric Kendricks. The veteran linebacker holds the team’s highest run defense grade (73.4) by a defender with 100-or-more run defense stats. While he missed a pair of tackles this past week, he has also generated 14 run stops.

Additional news:

Cowboys DE Sam Williams, who suffered a season-ending knee injury this summer, has been suspended for three games due to violations of the NFL’s personal conduct policy.
Cowboys CB DaRon Bland activated from IR, status unclear if he returns this week.
Dallas opens the week with big names in Edge Micah Parsons (ankle), CB Trevon Diggs (calf) and OG Zack Martin (shoulder) on the injury report.
Falcons OG Chris Lindstrom (knee) DNP at practice to start the week.
Falcons C Drew Dalman designated to return from IR.

Denver Broncos vs. Baltimore Ravens (-9)

Storyline of the game: Broncos looking to play spoiler to Ravens’ rebound

The Ravens finished Week 8 with their first loss since early September. In a divisional matchup in Cleveland — in a contest in which they were seven-point favorites — Baltimore just wasn’t able to generate the offense the Ravens have become accustomed to. Late-down struggles were apparent, as they converted just 23.1% of their third- and fourth-down plays.

Denver will be looking to capitalize on its strong showing to start the year, having won five of its last six. But this week, the Broncos face off against undoubtedly the strongest team they’ve dueled yet. The top spot in EPA per play allowed this season goes to the Broncos, but that also comes against some ailing offensive units such as Carolina and New Orleans. Staring down Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry will be a true test of this defense’s fortitude.

Matchups to watch: Ravens WR Diontae Johnson vs. Broncos CB Pat Surtain II

The big news of the week had to be the Ravens snagging former Carolina receiver Diontae Johnson to bolster this emerging receiving corps. The transition to a new scheme is never seamless, so it remains to be seen how much run Johnson will have on Sunday. This addition gives Baltimore three of the top-20 separators in the NFL with Johnson’s 65.31% separation rate.

Tasked with checking the Ravens’ new target will be the Broncos’ standout corner, Pat Surtain II, who returned well from concussion protocol this past week to produce a 73.2 PFF coverage grade. Surtain may have let up a score but also managed to secure his third interception while allowing just 0.16 yards per coverage snap.

Additional News:

Baltimore has acquired WR Diontae Johnson from Carolina via trade.

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Miami Dolphins vs. Buffalo Bills (-6)

Storyline of the game: Can the revitalized Dolphins match the surging Bills?

Despite suffering a one-point loss this past week at home to Arizona, Miami came to life offensively, earning the sixth-highest EPA per play in Week 8. Now Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins face their division rivals for the first time since the talented passer went down in Week 2.

The Bills come into this AFC East matchup riding high off of three straight wins to close out October. Josh Allen and this offense are looking as dangerous as they have all season, laying claim to the second-highest EPA per play average in the NFL over the last three games. Although Allen may have recorded his first interception of the year this past week, he also owns a league-leading 7.5% big-time throw rate.

Matchups to watch: Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill vs. Bills CB Christian Benford

No one is happier to have Tagovailoa back in the lineup than Tyreek Hill. Although Hill didn’t dominate in Week 8, he did enjoy his best outing since Week 1, generating 2.0 yards per route run and a 91.0 passer rating when targeted. While that’s not overly impressive by Hill’s standards, it’s a sign of life this passing game has desperately needed.

Benford will undoubtedly hope to squash that before this talented duo can get started. The Bills’ third-year corner may hold the 11th-highest coverage grade (76.3) at the position, but his recent struggles have seen his grading profile drop significantly. His 56.0 coverage grade over the past three games ranks 78th out of 112 qualifying corners.

Additional news:

Bills SS Mike Edwards is reportedly available on the trade block and would like to be moved.

New Orleans Saints (-7.5) vs. Carolina Panthers

Storyline of the game: Derek Carr set to return to the Saints’ lineup

While the Saints’ issues span further than the three games they went without their starting quarterback, getting Carr back will go a long way to giving this team the equalizer under center that they sorely lacked when trotting out the combination of Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener. Prior to going down in Week 5, the veteran signal-caller owned a league-leading 87.8 PFF passing grade.

Conversely, the Panthers have opted to go with youth under center by again starting Bryce Young. In his return to the helm of this offense this past week, Young showed some measured improvements to his passing grades but still has a long way to go, having notched his second two-interception game in three starts.

Matchups to watch: Saints WR Chris Olave vs. Panthers CB Jaycee Horn

Despite being an immense talent, Chris Olave was hit especially hard while his quarterback was on the mend. Prior to Carr’s injury, Olave held an 89.8 PFF receiving grade — the second-highest at the receiver position — a number that dropped nearly 30 points in the weeks since.

Horn, perhaps the lone bright spot on this Panthers defense, will square up with Olave amid uncertainty if he may be moved ahead of the NFL trade deadline. The Panthers corner maintains a respectable 69.3 PFF coverage grade, powered by his eight forced incompletions — a top-three mark at the corner position.

Additional news:

Carolina has traded WR Diontae Johnson to the Ravens for a late-round pick swap.

Las Vegas Raiders vs. Cincinnati Bengals (-7)

Storyline of the game: Bengals looking to get back to potent offense

While wins have been a bit more difficult to come by for Cincinnati, offensive production had not been until recently. Over the first five games, this Bengals offense stood as the third-ranked offense in EPA per play, but in the three games since, they’ve tumbled down to 26th.

Offensive struggles continue to plague this Raiders team — not only amid their four-game losing streak. but all season long. Instability at the game’s most important position has put this team behind the eight ball, leaving this offense languishing toward the bottom of the league in a number of crucial metrics, including EPA per play (31st), average yards per play (29th) and successful play rate (24th).

Matchups to watch: Bengals running game vs. Raiders run defense

An ineffective and inconsistent running game has hampered this Bengals offense all season, and Cincinnati is now feeling its effects even more in recent weeks. The issues largely fall on Cincinnati’s lacking run-blocking efforts along the offensive line, where they fall 31st in offensive line run-blocking grade (43.9) due largely to their troublingly low 31.1% impact block rate — the lowest in the NFL over the last three weeks.

On the other side of the ball, the Raiders put in the effort against the run you may expect from an Antonio Pierce-coached team. This defense holds the sixth-highest team run defense grade (75.0) in the NFL behind performances from names like LB Robert Spillane and S Tre’von Moehrig, both of whom rank in the top-eight in PFF run defense grade at their respective positions.

Additional news:

Bengals LT Orlando Brown (knee) and WR Tee Higgins (quad) absent from practice to start the week.
Raiders C Andre James (ankle) was knocked out of the team’s Week 8 matchup, unclear on status this week.

Los Angeles Chargers (-1.5) vs. Cleveland Browns

Storyline of the game: Can Jameis Winston, Browns repeat their Week 8 victory?

The biggest upset of Week 8 was undoubtedly the Browns’ takedown of Baltimore in Jameis Winston’s first start of 2024. The veteran passer stepped in and outdueled Lamar Jackson, producing a 74.9 PFF passing grade and this team’s first game having scored 20-or-more points. That spark may have lit a fire under this Browns offense that has been declared dead for weeks.

The Chargers, however, aren’t just going to back down to this team, as they’re also coming off a dominant win — albeit against the struggling Saints — behind a vintage Justin Herbert performance. The Chargers’ talented passer has been on a tear the past two weeks, having tossed a league-leading nine big-time throws to zero turnover-worthy plays on his way to an incredible 94.0 PFF passing grade.

Matchups to watch: Browns RT Jack Conklin vs. Chargers Edge Joey Bosa

Poor pass protection has been the bane of the Browns offense for most of the season when Conklin was missing from the lineup, but the group has since taken strides in his return. Since Week 6, Cleveland has seen a sizable drop in overall pressure surrendered and a rise in pass-block efficiency rating, climbing out of the basement and now ranking near the middle of the league. Conklin himself has contributed a 71.3 pass blocking grade, having allowed six pressures and zero sacks.

The Chargers returned their All-Pro edge Joey Bosa this past week, just for their star pass-rusher to exit early with another injury scare and open the week as limited at practice. Inserting Bosa back into the lineup in good form is crucial to this pass rush overcoming a lull that has this team ranking in the bottom-third of the league in pass-rush win rate (37.9%) and total pressures (81) since he went down in Week 3.

Additional news:

Browns LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (neck) was carted off in Week 8 but had movement in extremities; timetable for return unclear.

Washington Commanders (-3.5) vs. New York Giants

Storyline of the game: Everything swinging in Commanders’ favor

The top play of Week 8 was, without a doubt, Jayden Daniels’ game-winning Hail Mary against Chicago to secure the Commanders’ sixth win of the year on a day where points were uncharacteristically hard to come by for this Commanders offense. To score just 18 points while also generating over 500 yards of offense is eyebrow-raising, however. Daniels was dealing, having hurled three big-time throws to zero turnover-worth plays — which should give some indication that the low scoring output won’t become a trend.

October hasn’t been favorable for the Giants after dropping their last three games. Issues are widespread on this team, and quarterback is no exception. During this losing streak, Daniel Jones has contributed the 29th-ranked passing grade out of 38 qualifying passers, a byproduct of his four turnover-worthy plays and being sacked 13 times across three games.

Matchups to Watch: Commanders QB Jayden Daniels vs Giants CB Deonte Banks

Week 8 saw the Giants’ coaching staff elect to sit down former first-round pick Deonte Banks in favor of former seventh-round pick Greg Stroman Jr. After struggling in all but a single outing this year, the message has been sent that Bank’s issues in coverage — a 56.4 grade — won’t cut it, currently allowing 9.4 yards per coverage target.

Commanders OC Kliff Kingsbury and his young passer will look to take advantage of that void in coverage, just as they did this past week against the Bears. To avoid testing their luck against All-Pro corner Jaylon Johnson too often, Daniels went after Tyrique Stevenson early and often, targeting him twice as often as any other player on the Bears’ defense. Stevenson surrendered 142 yards on five receptions.

Additional news:

Giants breakout first-year RB Tyrone Tracy enters the week in concussion protocol.

New England Patriots vs. Tennessee Titans (-3.5)

Storyline of the game: Young quarterbacks take steps toward making return in Week 9

After missing the past two games with an injury to his throwing shoulder, Titans second-year quarterback Will Levis is trending toward a possible return to the lineup this week. That doesn’t exactly strike fear in opposing defenses given Levis’ struggles — he holds the lowest passing grade in the NFL — but Mason Rudolph hasn’t been able to do much more in his stint leading the charge, earning a lowly 49.9 passing grade over the past two weeks. In other words, that’s not leaving this offense with many great choices.

Conversely, the Patriots are riding high after breaking the NFL’s longest losing streak in 2024 this past week, even after losing their rookie passer in the first half. Drake Maye has a good chance of returning to the lineup from a concussion, giving this offense back its dynamic signal-caller with a chance to build momentum.

Matchups to watch: Patriots WR Ja’Lynn Polk vs. Titans CB Darrell Baker Jr.

The Pats’ second-round pick at receiver returned to practice this week after missing the team’s last matchup with a concussion. That comes just a week removed from his cryptic post on social media following his zero-reception outing against Jacksonville, raising questions around his impact moving forward. Polk hasn’t exactly performed well enough to be disgruntled, currently holding a 46.0 receiving grade — 124th out of 124 qualifying receivers — and one of the lowest separation rates in the league (39.56%).

With L’Jarius Sneed (quad) still mending an injury, Darrell Baker Jr has stepped in and performed admirably, earning a 75.5 PFF coverage grade on the year. The undrafted corner has allowed just 0.22 yards per coverage snap and has tallied a pair of forced incompletions.

Additional news:

New England has traded Edge Josh Uche to Kansas City for a 2026 sixth-round pick.
Patriots QB Drake Maye (concussion) exited the game this past week, unclear on status heading into practice this week.

Chicago Bears vs. Arizona Cardinals (-1)

Storyline of the game: Both teams looking to translate October success moving forward

Despite losing in heartbreaking fashion to the Commanders on a last-second Hail Mary this past week, the Bears have a lot to build off of heading into November. Not only is it commendable to hold one of the NFL’s highest-scoring offenses to just 18 points, but this defense has been putting together a fantastic stretch, netting the unit the sixth-highest team defense grade (76.5) since Week 5.

Arizona is gaining a bit of a reputation as the cardiac kids of the 2024 NFL. Despite suffering some hefty losses this year, all but one of the Cardinals’ wins have come by two points or fewer, including each of their last two. Credit goes to Kyler Murray, who is coming off one of his best games of the year in which he earned an 84.4 PFF passing grade.

Matchups to watch: Cardinals WR Marvin Harrison Jr. vs. Bears CB Tyrique Stevenson

Following the catastrophic ending to the Bears’ Week 8 loss, video circulated of Stevenson’s attention being elsewhere during the final play, resulting in a missed assignment in the end zone, which was ultimately charged to Stevenson. His play this season — the 96th-ranked coverage grade out of 107 qualifying corners — has already elicited questions, but after a mental error like that, all eyes will be fixated on the enigmatic corner.

A week removed from questions regarding Marvin Harrison Jr. ‘s usage, the young receiver put up one of the best games of his career so far. The Cards receiver generated a 90.0 PFF receiving grade — his second such game this season — a credit to his league-leading five receptions of 15-or-more yards on the week.

Normally, you would expect a talent like Harrison to draw the attention of CB Jaylon Johnson, but the Commanders were able to free up Terry McLaurin with motions and alignment advantages. A similar approach from the Cardinals would be effective for Harrison as well.

Additional news:

Bears CB Tyrique Stevenson apologized for Hail Mary mistake that cost the Bears a win.

Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Philadelphia Eagles (-7.5)

Storyline of the game: Eagles hitting their stride heading into back-half of the year

The Eagles closed out a perfect 3-0 run in October with a pair of incredible performances on the road, taking down Cincinnati and New York by a combined 45-point margin of victory. Jalen Hurts‘ resurgence is due significant credit. Over the past three games, the quarterback has culminated in an 87.0 overall offensive grade — the third-highest at the position over that span.

On the other sideline, the Jaguars are struggling to string together wins amid game mismanagement and injuries, seemingly squandering good performances from Trevor Lawrence. Now, this offense may have to contend without a number of their top weapons heading into the week of practice. After losing Christian Kirk for the year, the Jags may also need to find fill-ins for Brian Thomas Jr., Gabe Davis, Travis Etienne and Tank Bigsby, who opened the week as limited in practice.

Matchups to watch: Eagles RB Saquon Barkley vs. Jaguars LB Foyesade Oluokun

Having a dynamic back like Saquon Barkley has proven to be game-changing for this Eagles offense amid its offensive breakout heading into the second half of the year. Barkley is a threat in both facets of the game, currently holding a top-10 overall offensive grade (81.0) at the position. On the ground, he’s generating 5.9 yards per carry, having surpassed 80 yards of rushing production in all but one of his seven outings.

Oluokon, the Jags’ veteran linebacker, returned from injury this past week to produce his best run defense grade (72.1) of his limited season. This beleaguered defense will need it again this week. Against the Packers last week, Oluokun notched a pair of run stops, including his second tackle for loss or no gain this season.

Additional news:

Jags WR Christian Kirk (collarbone) will miss the remainder of the season.
Jacksonville has traded away LT Cam Robinson to Minnesota for lat- round pick swap in 2026.

Detroit Lions (-3.5) vs. Green Bay Packers

Storyline of the game: Jordan Love and Jared Goff dealing with injuries to start the week

After missing two games early in the year, all eyes were on Jordan Love going down again in Week 8. The Packers’ franchise passer is considered day-to-day heading into the week, having missed practice on Wednesday. Given how well Packers HC Matt LaFleur has orchestrated this offense in the face of adversity, this team can feasibly compete in any matchup in which it finds itself.

While not considered to be as severe, Detroit is also dealing with an injury to its franchise passer, with Jared Goff missing practice to start the week. He isn’t considered to be in danger of sitting out this one just yet, but the situation will require monitoring from the medical staff heading into Sunday's contest.

Matchups to watch: Packers QB Malik Willis vs. Lions safeties Kerby Joseph & Brian Branch

If Love is unable to go, Malik Willis will be tabbed to start under center — who has operated as a solid replacement in his time on the field, amassing a 77.4 overall offensive grade. That stems from his surprisingly composed play as a passer, where he’s recorded zero turnover-worthy plays on 53 dropbacks.

But, that measure will be put to the test this week against the highest-graded safety tandem in the NFL in Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch. The duo are phenomenal in coverage with both eclipsing an 85.0 PFF coverage grade this season, due in large part to the pair combining for nine interceptions on the year, more than 26 other teams have in total.

Additional news:

Detroit will play its first game outside of a dome this season when the Lions suit up in Green Bay this week, with rain in the forecast.

Los Angeles Rams (-1.5) vs. Seattle Seahawks

Storyline of the game: Crucial NFC West divisional matchup

Through eight weeks of play, there’s no division more tightly contested than the NFC West. Three of the four teams within the division own a 4-4 record, with the Rams standing as the only team under currently .500 at 3-4.

However, the Rams hold some serious momentum heading into the back half of the year, coming off of a double-digit win against one of the hottest teams through the first two months of the season in the Vikings. Credit is due to the simultaneous returns of WRs Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua to the lineup following injuries.

Seattle, unfortunately, hasn’t been as lucky: the Seahawks are coming off a three-score loss at home against the Bills, their third loss at home in October. Given the mixed bag of performances out of the Seahawks’ locker room over the past two weeks, it's difficult to project what team you’ll get weekly.

Matchups to watch: Rams WR Puka Nacua vs. Seahawks CB Tariq Woolen

Both sides of this matchup feature players coming off of their first game back from injury, but one excelled while the other struggled.

In a surprise twist, Puka Nacua suited up for the Rams last Thursday night and produced a fantastic 81.8 PFF receiving grade — a top-12 mark at the position in Week 8 — powered by four explosive catches and 7.3 yards after catch per reception.

On the other hand, Tariq Woolen came back to the Seattle defense not on his A game, earning just a 57.1 PFF coverage grade in Week 8, due largely to allowing a pair of touchdowns.

Additional news:

ED Randy Gregory takes free agent visit with Seattle.

Indianapolis Colts vs. Minnesota Vikings (-5)

Storyline of the game: Colts opt to sit down Anthony Richardson

After another poor performance and a bizarre sequence which saw Anthony Richardson check himself out of the game due to being winded, Shane Steichen has decided to bench his young quarterback in favor of veteran Joe Flacco. While Flacco has been a mixed bag himself, Richardson has only managed to surpass Joe Flacco’s lowest-graded passing game (55.5) once this season, back in Week 1.

That’s seemingly a savvy move by Steichen with the Vikings on the schedule. Brian Flores’ defense is looking for a “get right” game after struggling over their past two outings, allowing 30-plus points to both Detroit and LA. Over the last two weeks, this defense has fallen to the bottom-third of the NFL in EPA per play allowed and scoring drive allowed percentage.

Matchups to watch: Colts WR Josh Downs vs. Vikings S Josh Metellus

Week 8 marked the first time this season that Downs managed to eclipse a 55.0 PFF receiving grade in a game (76.9) with Richardson under center. Conversely, with Flacco, Downs has yet to see a single-game receiving grade under 76.0. With Flacco in the saddle from Week 4 through 6, Downs earned the third-highest receiving grade at the position (89.7), hauling in 24 catches.

That could present an issue for Josh Metellus, who has struggled a bit in the slot this season, generating just a 51.0 PFF coverage grade. This past week, Metellus earned his lowest coverage grade of the year when lined up in the slot, producing just a 29.5 coverage grade against Cooper Kupp and the Rams.

Additional news:

Minnesota has acquired LT Cam Robinson from Jacksonville for late-round pick swap in 2026.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Kansas City Chiefs (-8.5)

Storyline of the game: Can anyone beat Kansas City?

The last remaining undefeated team in the NFL continues to win games handedly, despite injury concerns and measured play from their MVP quarterback. After starting the season with five big-time throws to seven turnover-worthy plays in the first four games, Mahomes has recorded zero throws in either category in the last three matchups. Yet, this team continues to win by a touchdown or more nearly every week.

The Bucs will have their hands full as they try to navigate their own deficiencies, namely in the receiving room and the secondary. Play from Baker Mayfield, as well as in the running back room with Bucky Irving, has kept the ship from capsizing fully, but it remains to be seen if it can carry the full weight left by the absence of two of the game’s best receivers.

Matchups to watch: Buccaneers RB Bucky Irving vs. Chiefs LB Nick Bolton

As mentioned above, this Tampa running game has had to step up immensely with the absence of Mike Evans and Chris Godwin from the lineup. This past week, Irving carried the load, earning himself an 87.5 overall offensive grade, the highest-graded game of his young career. The first-year back managed to produce an 83.0-plus grade as both a runner and a receiver, racking up nine total forced missed tackles.

Bolton has been an absolute force in fitting the run in recent weeks, earning the third-highest run defense grade (92.3) at the position since Week 5. Over that span, Bolton has tallied a positive grade on 25.4% of his run defense snaps, a top-five rate among linebackers — powered by six run stops, including a pair of tackles for loss or no gain.

Additional news:

Kansas City has acquired Edge Josh Uche from New England for a 2026 sixth-round pick.
Bucs WR Sterling Shepard (hamstring) adds further concern to health in the receiver room.