NFL Week 9: Momentum Swings and Statement Wins

By Mateo Siman

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams keeps the ball for a first-quarter run against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025, at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune/TNS)

An Action-Packed Shootout

The Chicago Bears traveled to Paycor Stadium on Sunday to take on the Cincinnati Bengals in a matchup that quickly turned into a battle of momentum and mistakes. This game was the true definition of an NFL shootout.

This game showcased five lead changes and over 1,100 total yards. It was high scoring from the jump, with the Bengals opening the scoring early with a 98-yard kickoff return on the first play of the game. This game became interesting in the 4th quarter, when the Bengals were down by as many as two touchdowns and needed to mount a comeback with just under four minutes left. 

A Noah Fant touchdown catch from Joe Flacco made it a one-possession game. Because of the new onside kick rules, it has made recovery almost impossible—but never impossible. The Bengals were able to defy the odds, recover the kick, and score on their very next drive to go up by one point with under a minute left. 

Caleb Williams then drove down the field and threw a laser to rookie tight end Colson Loveland, who took it all the way for a 58-yard game-winning touchdown. With their offense firing on all cylinders and confidence at an all-time high, the Bears' thrilling 47-42 victory could mark the spark that ignites their playoff push. 

On top of shocking Bengals fans, this game leaves them at the bottom of the AFC North. This team is in desperate need of victory while they await all-pro quarterback Joe Burrow’s return to the field to give them hopes of making the playoffs.

Upset in Green Bay

On Sunday, the Carolina Panthers travelled to Lambeau Field to face off against the Green Bay Packers. Coming into this game, the Packers looked like contenders and a force to be reckoned with in the NFC. They were 13.5-point favorites in this game. 

The Panthers, coming off a blowout loss against the Bills, we’re looking to make a bounce-back performance against the Packers. They did just that with a 16-13 win off a game-winning 49-yard field goal by Ryan Fitzgerald. The Panthers, relying on emerging running back Rico Dowdle and their gritty defense, have defied all odds and have led this Panthers team to a 5-4 record. This also puts the Packers at 5-2-1. 

With Fitzgerald’s clutch kick and Dowdle’s unbelievable performance, the Panthers have announced themselves to the league. What once looked like a rebuild is starting to look like a potential playoff berth. 

Overtime Thriller

A battle of two of the middle-of-the-pack teams faced off on Sunday. The Jacksonville Jaguars went on the road to face off against the Las Vegas Raiders. 

The first half of this game felt like a snoozer, but rookie kicker Cam Little opened the record books and nailed a 68-yard field goal that looked like it was good from 75+ yards. This brought a type of fuel to these teams that ended up totaling 37 points in the second half of this game, leading it to go to overtime. 

The Jaguars started with the ball and quickly led down the field to score a touchdown to go up by 7 points. With the new overtime rules, this gave the raiders a chance to respond, which they did. Led by standout second-year tight end Brock Bowers, the Raiders drove down the field. Capped off with a touchdown pass caught by none other than Brock Bowers to only put them down 1 with 30 seconds left in overtime. 

Pete Carroll decides to go with a gutsy call to go for a 2-point conversion, which either wins or loses the game. Geno Smith dropped back to pass and had his pass batted down by Davon Hamilton, which untimely ended the game. After returning from injury, Brock Bowers had a stellar performance of 12 catches, 127 yards, and 3 touchdowns, but in the end, it was not enough. 

After a 2-game losing streak, the Jacksonville Jaguars come up huge and come out of Las Vegas with a win that now puts them at 5-3. The Las Vegas Raiders now sit at 2-5 and are looking to build toward next season.

AFC title rematch 

On Sunday, we saw a classic Mahomes vs. Allen duel, a rivalry that stretches back to 2020. The two have played against each other a total of 10 times, including 4 times in the playoffs. 

The Bills went up early and never looked back, leading to a 28-21 win over the Kansas City Chiefs. MVP candidate Josh Allen totaled 273 yards and 3 touchdowns to bring his Bills record to 6-2. On the other side of the ball, Buffalo’s defense came up big with three sacks and a key forced turnover, keeping Mahomes and the Chiefs from mounting a comeback that once seemed possible near the end of the game. 

The Bills now sit near the top of the AFC, while the Chiefs need to regroup to start playing like their normal selves.