NFL Weekly Wrap: Week 9 Chaos Across the League

If there was ever a Sunday that reminded fans why the NFL is king of drama, Week 9 delivered. It seemed like finally an eventful week where fans were rewarded with hours of football. Let's dive into it!

Bengals vs. Bears: Chaos in Cincinnati

What looked like a blowout turned into one of the wildest games of the season. The Bears were the latest of NFL teams to just pick apart what may be considered as the worst defensive system the NFL has ever seen. A commanding 41-27 lead in the 4th was wiped away from Joe Flacco’s career long 470 pass yard game. The Bengals took the lead late backing 2 touchdowns from Tee Higgins, all to be squandered by a 58 yard touchdown for the first 2 TD game of Bears rookie Colston Loveland's career. Flacco's chemistry with Chase, Brown, and Higgins all looked back to peak form, but the Bengals’ continue to look horrid on the defensive side of the ball.

Panthers Stun the Packers, but Lose Kraft to ACL Tear

Nobody saw this coming: the 4-win Panthers took down the Packers in an upset that might have derailed Green Bay’s momentum. Rico Dowdle looked excellent after being named RB1, including his Key&Peele celebration edition of the ‘double pump’, but the biggest blow in the game came on the other sideline — tight end Tucker Kraft, who’d been emerging as the top weapon, went down with a torn ACL. Green Bay’s offense, already thin on playmakers, just got thinner.

Raiders Fall in OT Despite Bowers’ Electric Return

Brock Bowers reminded everyone why he was the talk of draft season. The second-year tight end came back from injury and immediately reignited the Raiders’ offense, racking up chunk plays and breaking tackles like he never missed a snap. But despite Bowers’ fireworks, Vegas fell in overtime — a heartbreaking result that underscored yet another significant game from the Georgia product. After a flat showing last week, the Jaguars responded with authority. Trevor Lawrence led a balanced attack, the defense tightened up, and Doug Pederson’s squad reasserted itself to a good position in the wild card race. Travis Etienne Jr continues his great season as he went for 84 years.

Bills vs. Chiefs: Classic Rivalry, Familiar Result

Another chapter in the modern NFL’s marquee rivalry, and once again, it came down to execution. Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes traded punches in the first half, both defenses settled in the second half, but it was Allen and the Bills who finished stronger this time. The Bills defense held Mahomes to just one touchdown drive in the second half, sealing a crucial win that keeps Buffalo’s division hopes alive. For Kansas City, it’s a tough loss, but in a stretch where they have looked very solid, they will continue their race to the playoffs.

Vikings Stay Hot Behind Rookie QB Magic

Minnesota’s feel-good story gets back on track. Rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy  or “McWinnington” as Vikings fans are starting to call him, delivered another composed performance, keeping the offense humming even without Justin Jefferson at full use. The Vikings’ defense forced timely turnovers, and the home crowd’s energy made all the difference. With this win, Minnesota quietly sneaks back into the NFC playoff picture.

Ravens vs. Dolphins: Baltimore Rolls Back into Playoff contention 

Thursday night saw the Ravens storm back into playoff talk. While that division is still up for grabs with the Steelers despite beating the 7-1 Colts have looked shaky in the past few weeks on top of the struggling Bengals and bottom of the barrel Browns. Lamar is back which is the biggest contributor. Fantasy owners rejoiced as Derrick Henry shot back with a 119 yard game. Be on the lookout for the Ravens. 

Rocket Touchdown Picks

Last week, I picked Oronde Gadsden and Drake London to score. London delivered with three touchdowns, while Gadsden had another solid game with five catches for 68 yards but couldn’t find the endzone, so that one’s chalked up as a loss.

For Thursday Night Football, I’ve got two of my favorite picks ready to launch. Combine these and you could hit a 4.6x payout, or add more Rockets to really watch your payout soar and chase the Rocket Rampage bonus, awarded to the entry with the highest multiplier of the week.

Picks:

- Brock Bowers: More than 0.5 Rush + Rec TD - Bowers looked incredible last week coming off injury, finding the endzone three times. With Jakobi Meyers off the roster, he’s in a prime spot for another big performance.

- RJ Harvey: More than 0.5 Rush + Rec TD - Harvey stepped up in last week’s matchup against the Texans and could see another heavy workload this Thursday in a favorable game script.