Two teams in the AFC North emerged victorious in Week 9, while another suffered an all-too-common heartbreaker. Meanwhile, the Cleveland Browns enjoyed a week off.
Pittsburgh Steelers (5-3)
The Pittsburgh Steelers snapped a two-game
losing streak with a 27-20 win over the Indianapolis Colts.
The Steelers’ defense has struggled for much of the season, but the unit stepped up big time with six turnovers against a red-hot Colts’ offense led by quarterback Daniel Jones. Jones has played like one of the league’s best quarterbacks in his first season in Indianapolis, but Pittsburgh made him look much more like the player that the New York Giants opted to cut ties with last year. He threw three interceptions, fumbled twice, and took five sacks. Safety Kyle Dugger made four tackles in his debut for the Steelers after being traded by the New England Patriots. Linebacker Alex Highsmith was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance against the Colts, as he totaled four tackles, three tackles for loss, two sacks, and a forced fumble.
Offensively, quarterback Aaron Rodgers completed 25 of 35 passes for 203 yards and a touchdown against Indianapolis. Jaylen Warren was the leading rusher with just 31 yards on 16 carries, although he found the end zone twice. Calvin Austin led all receivers with 56 yards on five catches while tight end Pat Freiermuth caught Rodgers’ lone touchdown. Star wide receiver DK Metcalf had the worst game of his season, catching just two passes for a measly six yards.
Baltimore Ravens (3-5)
The Baltimore Ravens won their third game of the season and second in a row with a 28-6 victory over the Miami Dolphins on Thursday Night Football.
The story of the game was the return of two-time MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson for his first game in over a month. Jackson immediately reminded the world of his impact as he completed 18 of 23 passes for 204 yards and four touchdowns, earning AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors in his first game back. Derrick Henry eclipsed 100 yards on the ground for just the third time this season as he racked up 119 yards on 19 carries. Zay Flowers led the receivers with 64 yards on five catches, but it was the tight ends who stole the spotlight in the passing game for Baltimore as Isaiah Likely caught three passes for 60 yards, Mark Andrews caught two touchdowns, and Charlie Kolar found the end zone for the second game in a row.
The Ravens’ defensive resurgence continued against the Dolphins, as the unit forced three turnovers. Cornerback Marlon Humphrey and safety Alohi Gillman both forced and recovered fumbles, while rookie first-round safety Malaki Starks had an interception off quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Baltimore’s defense has not allowed more than 17 points in three straight games now, after starting the season as one of the worst units in the NFL. Zach Orr’s defense received some more help ahead of the trade deadline, as the Ravens acquired outside linebacker Dre’Mont Jones from the Tennessee Titans to help boost their lackluster pass rush.
Cincinnati Bengals (3-6)
In what has become a regular occurrence in recent years, the Cincinnati Bengals found themselves in a high-scoring affair in which their defense let them down. They lost, 47-4, to the Chicago Bears.
Veteran quarterback Joe Flacco was questionable with an injured AC joint in his throwing shoulder leading up to the game, but that did not stop the 40-year-old from throwing for a career-high 470 yards against the Bears to go with four touchdowns and two interceptions. Both wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins went over 100 receiving yards, but it was Higgins who found the end zone twice while also catching a two-point conversion to go with his team-leading 121 yards on seven catches. Chase Brown was the leading rusher with 37 yards on 11 carries, though he added another 75 yards as a receiver out of the backfield.
Nobody can snatch defeat from the jaws of victory quite like the Bengals’ defense, as the unit allowed a 58-yard catch-and-run touchdown to rookie tight end Colston Loveland with just 25 seconds left in the game to put the Bears ahead. Several offensive players, including Brown and Chase, made their frustration with the defense clear after the game.
“We put the ball in the end zone and go up a point at the end,” Brown said. “Finish the f—— game. Just end it. Like, that’s it.”
Instead of looking for defensive help at the trade deadline, Cincinnati instead shipped off linebacker Logan Wilson to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for a 2026 seventh-round pick.
