Key events
TOUCHDOWN! Titans 7-7 Chargers 7:24 1st quarter
TOUCHDOWN! Giants 7-7 49ers 6:34 1st quarter
It's officially raining touchdowns and they'll all tie the game. Christian McAffrey does some of the things Christian McAffrey does: catch a pass and throw it 5 yards out for the 49ers. Justin Herbert then quickly redeems himself with a nifty two-yard strike to fullback Scott Matlock. The big man had only two receptions in his career, and this one got the Chargers back on track.
TOUCHDOWN! Bengals 7-7 Bears 8:44 1st quarter
They just keep coming as Caleb Williams leads the Bears down the field and passes 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 immediately responded with a 10-yard touchdown run from JJ McCarthy to Justin Jefferson as the Colts got off to a fast start against the Steelers. Pittsburgh's defense hit hard and forced a fourth-and-goal, but it didn't matter to Indianapolis. They go for the QB trick and Jones dives. Impudent!
CHOOSE 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
Jackson Dart hits Theo Johnson for a 15-yard touchdown for the Giants, while Drake May finds Pop Douglas with a 16-yard pass for the score. An unexpected start for both.
TOUCHDOWN! Lions 7-0 Vikings 12:37 1st quarter
Detriot unleashed his bag of tricks with a 40-yard pass to Sam LaPorte on fourth down. With four yards left, they risk everything to score and Jared Goff finds his man, but the tight end has to struggle with three defenders and barely falls into the end zone.
Steelers 0-0 Colts 12:43 1st quarter
A disappointing start for Pittsburgh with a punt highlighted by a shocking fall from tight end Jonnu Smith.
The Colts come out on offense and Jonathan Taylor, in his first game behind the line of scrimmage, does a great job. They'll need a few more.
TOUCHDOWN! Bengals – Bears 7-0 14:49, 1st quarter
Are you not entertained? Aren't you having fun?!
Cincinnati's Charlie Jones returns the kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown! This is only the second goal this season. Wow.
Preamble
Hello football fans, welcome to week nine NFL action. After the rout seven days ago, playoff contenders emerged, but there was still enough rope left on the reel for the underdogs to carve out a path to the postseason. What about Houston? What have you got, Atlanta? The Ravens are flying, Pittsburgh, so can you beat the mighty Colts?
With eight dead-end games at our disposal, we want drama, no, we DEMAND drama. So let's, as they say, live.
Your octet starting at 12:00 CST/1:00 PM EST/6:00 PM (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 – 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 – 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 setbacks here, but Pittsburgh's sendoff from Indianapolis will be the most spectacular. The game plan will likely revolve around stopping Indianapolis' Jonathan Taylor. The quarterback is having an exciting year, as he ranks first in total yards per 100 yards with 850, second (by a full tenth of a yard) per carry with 5.9, and first in rushing touchdowns with 12. Slow him down and you have a fulcrum on which to succeed, as the Rams discovered when they slowed Taylor down to 76 yards on 4.5 per carry. and zero. touchdowns during their 27-20 win in September.
Pittsburgh's defense was quite solid. Just five passing touchdowns show some promise: their average EPA per rush is -0.02, meaning they're playing well, very average on average. So it's not as catastrophic as their passing defense. What they haven't faced yet is an offense as brilliant as the Colts, one that puts quarterback Daniel Jones and his receivers in the conversation for being one of the best passing attacks. They might even have ended up at the top if Taylor hadn't attracted so much attention.
The Steelers are in a tough spot. Head coach Mike Tomlin has to pick his poison, with Jones the likely choice, so Pittsburgh could throw bodies into the box to force the Colts to pass. It's a risky gamble, but the risk could be worth the reward of a vital victory in the race for the AFC North.
