Two days after the midterm elections, the NFL approaches the midpoint of its season with the Baltimore Ravens' QB1 post in the midst of a stunning flip. Undrafted rookie Joe Fagnano is scheduled to start Thursday night's home game against the AFC South-leading Jacksonville Jaguars. (His backup remains TBD with Lamar Jackson possibly out for the season, and QB2 Tyler Huntley definitely finished
for 2026.)The league's International Series resumes Sunday morning in Spain, where the Cincinnati Bengals and Atlanta Falcons − two teams vying for playoff position − meet in Madrid.
Week 9's Sunday afternoon lineup isn't exactly inspiring, the Green Bay Packers' visit to the New England Patriots the only matchup of teams with winning records. The NFC West-leading
San Francisco 49ers will return from their bye week to host their former Bay Area rivals, the Las Vegas Raiders, who are trying to advance from .500 to 5-4. The upgraded and upswinging Chicago Bears will host the ground-bound Tampa Bay Buccaneers on "Sunday Night Football."
Monday serves up what projects as Week 9's best pairing as the Buffalo Bills visit the Minnesota Vikings in a contest of contrasting styles of first-place teams that enter the fray with 6-1 records.
Here's how USA TODAY Sports' panel of NFL experts views the weekend's offerings:
(Odds provided by BetMGM)
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NFL Week 9 picks straight up, against the spread: Do Bills send Vikings to second loss?
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